The Pulp Fiction filmmaker has been named in legal action alongside bosses at The Weinstein Company and Columbia Pictures, amid allegations he stole the premise of the 2012 film from a script, called Freedom, written by Oscar Colvin, Jr. and Torrance J. Colvin.

"Before Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx's character), there was an escaped slave named Jackson Freeman who desired to purchase his family's freedom from a malevolent plantation owner," reads the court papers, filed in Washington, D.C.

"Before Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz's character), there was Samson, another white man, who would assist Mr. Freeman in his efforts to rescue his loved one(s) from slavery."

The plaintiffs allege they submitted Freedom to talent agents at the William Morris Agency, who suggested Tarantino as a possible director for the proposed project, reports TheWrap.com.

"Defendant Tarantino took the plot lines and main story of 'Freedom' and Tarantino-ized (sic) them," the accusers continue, before going on to insist they "provided the heart, bones and muscles to develop the unique idea that eventually would be transformed into Django Unchained".

They also brand Tarantino an "admitted thief", quoting him as stating, "I steal from every single movie ever made."

The Colvins are seeking unspecified damages, but demand compensatory damages "in an amount in excess of hundreds of millions of dollars to be proven at trial".

Tarantino, who claims to have made Django Unchained as a tribute to Sergio Corbucci's 1966 Italian film Django, has yet to comment on the lawsuit.